Reusable instruments that require sterilization are reprocessed in most hospitals. Reprocessing involves cleaning and packaging instruments, sterilizing them, and storing them until they are needed by the operating rooms or other departments in the hospital.
When preparing instruments for sterilization, the instruments are typically placed into stainless steel instrument trays and the entire tray is wrapped using sterilization wrap. A sterilization wrap typically is permeable to a sterilant (e.g., steam, ethylene oxide, etc.) so that the enclosed instruments are properly sterilized when exposed to a sterilization process. Furthermore, the sterilization wrap typically maintains sterility of the enclosed articles after reprocessing by presenting a barrier to entry of microorganisms. One of the most common ways for the sterility of wrapped instruments to become compromised is by a tear or hole in the sterilization wrap.
In order to promote and maintain the sterility of the packaged contents, the Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN) developed recommended practices for the wrapping and handling of in-hospital processed packages. AORN recommends double wrapping of in-hospital processed packages. In double wrapping, two layers of sterilization wrap are either simultaneously or sequentially applied. Alternatively, a so-called single-step sterilization wrap that has two layers of sterilization wrap connected one to the other is used. While the implementation of doubly-wrapped packages has been shown to reduce compromised wrapped items due to holes or tears, there are still many instances of at least one of the layers of wrap in a double-wrapped package having a tear or hole after processing and handling.
There remains a need for a simple, versatile sterilization wrap system for use with the wide variety of objects that are wrapped and sterilized in a hospital.